Category Archives: Peak State

The CBI and IPPR published a report on the future of public services last week. It warned: Britain faces a longer-term fiscal challenge. The Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated that by 2030 Britain will once again move into deficit … Continue reading →

One person who won’t have been surprised by this week’s economic forecast is CIPD Chief Economist John Philpott. Last year, he predicted public sector job losses of 725,000 contradicting the Office for Budget Responsibility’s official forecast of 400,000. During a typical outbreak … Continue reading →

A remarkable piece over at A Fistful of Euros puts the Eurozone crisis and, by implication, our own economic woes, into the context of a generalised crisis facing all developed economies. Three things have caused this, says Edward Hugh, high levels … Continue reading →

Public sector pensions are being cut and the state retirement age is slowly but surely being pushed towards seventy. Many people are outraged by all this but is it reasonable, now, to expect to retire at 65? Most of us have … Continue reading →

Peter Hoskin and Éoin Clarke were knocking lumps out of each other last week about whether debt and debt repayments were worse under John Major than they are now. At least they were knocking lumps out of each other with numbers and bar … Continue reading →

Anne McElvoy is annoyed with Islington council. It has told her she has to recycle her food waste to help the council save money and that, if she doesn’t, she will be fined. Her irritation seems to be not so much with … Continue reading →

The Economist has a series of articles on the future of the state. The paper’s broad conclusion is that western welfare state can’t go on as it is. Its editorial describes the state spending of the 2000s as “one last splurge” … Continue reading →